VANIER COLLEGE
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND GENERAL STUDIES: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Course Title: Introduction to College English: Literature
Course Number: 603-101-M A
Section: 1900
Semester: Autumn 2009
Course Hours Per Week:
2 hours of theoretical work
2 hours of practical work
4 hours of homework
Teacher:
Office:
Phone Number: 514-744-7500 ext.
Email: name@vaniercollege.qc.ca
Office Hours: Monday: 2:30-3:30 pm, Wednesday: 1:30-3:30 pm, and by appointment.
Prerequisites: Students are placed in this course based on their results in the Vanier English Placement
or Proficiency Test.
Course Description:
This introductory course is intended to bring students to a college level of proficiency in the areas of
reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a marked emphasis on writing and reading. In addition,
students are encouraged to develop an appreciation of literature by becoming acquainted with a number
of significant literary works representative of various genres and periods and expressing a variety of
literary themes. Students will develop college-level critical and analytical reading skills, and learn to
analyze the essay as well as at least two of the three following genres: fiction, poetry and drama. Students will improve their writing abilities in terms of composition organization, development and expression. Important elements of grammar will also be included.
Objectives and Standards:
The objective of this course is to enable students to analyze texts and produce written and oral work.
Students will learn to read literature critically. Students will also learn to write an analytical essay containing a thesis statement, which is clearly supported and developed.
On successful completion of this course, students, with the aid of reference material, will be able to
produce a 750-word essay analyzing a literary text. This essay will demonstrate the following: correct
grammar, syntax and spelling; appropriate tone and diction; and effective sentences and paragraphs.
This essay will also demonstrate thorough revision of form and content.
Methodology:
On average, half of the class time each week will involve short lectures, close readings of selected passages of literature, and discussions of literary elements such as plot, character, tone, style and structure.
The two hours of practical activities include note-taking, outlining, development of theses, paragraph
design, use of glossaries and dictionaries, and documentation. There will be some short quizzes, brainstorming in pairs or small groups, peer tutoring and evaluation, and exercises designed to strengthen
both writing and speaking skills.
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For homework, students are expected to read assigned literature and to respond in writing in a variety
of forms including statements of main ideas or themes, answers to study questions, paraphrases, summaries, reaction paragraphs, journal entries and brief reports.
Bibliography:
As It Was Written: Course Readings. Compiled by Micah Locilento. Montreal: Vanier College
Printing Services, 2009.
Sentence Skills Workbook. Montreal: Vanier College Printing Services, 2009.
A college-level English dictionary.
Evaluation:
One in-class 500-word analytical essay on fiction or poetry
One take-home 750-word analytical essay on fiction
Class-work (group projects, quizzes, etc.)
Short writing assignments
Mid-term exam (in-class): paragraph answers to questions on course reading
Final grammar test (in-class)
Oral presentation
20%
30%
15%
10%
10%
10%
5%
Cheating and Plagiarism Policy: Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade of zero on
the test or assignment, and a letter from the teacher will be placed in your file. A repeated offence may
lead to even more serious consequences. Please consult the Vanier College Catalogue, the Student
Handbook and your teacher for more information.
Attendance Policy:
Regular attendance and active participation are required throughout the term. Missing more than 10%
of in-class work without a valid reason seriously jeopardizes a student’s chance of passing the course.
Students who miss 20% of in-class work will likely fail. Students who will be absent from classes for
religious reasons must inform their teachers, in writing at the beginning of the semester, of the dates of
these holidays and make up the work missed. These students will not then be penalized for these absences. Students with justifiable absences must submit original and verifiable documentation, such as a
medical note, upon their return to class. Students are responsible for making up any work missed due
to justifiable absences.
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COLLEGE/COURSE POLICIES ON CLASSROOM CONDUCT
Course Material and Coursework
Students should know what is expected of them each week. They must come to class with their course
material (course module, books, texts, paper and writing instruments) and be prepared for the day’s lesson. If they fail to do so, I may ask that they leave my classroom. In addition, students should not wait
until the end of the semester to realize that they have not completed the required assignments. It is their
responsibility to ensure that they have fulfilled all the criteria for the course.
Absences
Being absent without a valid medial reason is not an acceptable excuse for (1) failing to submit work due,
(2) completing homework, (3) missing a test, or (4) coming to class unprepared for the day’s lesson. If
students are absent, it is their responsibility to find out what they missed: in-class assignments, assigned
homework, copies of handouts, etc. If they fail to do so, I may ask that they leave my classroom.
Religious Holidays
Students must inform me at the beginning of the semester, in writing, of any absences due to religious
holidays. Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to make up any class work missed.
Punctuality and Class Attendance
Punctuality is important, in that late students tend to disrupt the class and impede work in progress. If students are late, I may ask that they not enter my classroom. In addition, students are not supposed to leave the
classroom until the class has ended. If students leave the classroom without permission, I may not allow
them to re-enter the classroom. If students leave early, they must inform me before the class. Please note
that I may ask for valid documentation.
Electronic Devices:
It is strictly prohibited to use laptops, cell phones, pagers, MP3 players or any electronic devices during
class. They must be turned off, and placed out of sight, before entering the class! Classrooms are NO
CELL PHONE ZONES! If students have a documented medical reason for needing to use a laptop, please
come and see me and forward me the appropriate documentation.
COURSE POLICIES REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS, GROUP PROJECTS AND QUIZZES:
All writing assignments should be double spaced and clearly legible. Take-home writing assignments should be typed using a computer unless otherwise instructed.
Periodic reading quizzes will also be given in class. Students may not be notified when a quiz will be
given. Any student missing a quiz will receive a 0 on the quiz unless a signed medical note is provided
for the absence. If the student fails more than half the reading quizzes, a grade of zero on all class
work and quizzes may result.
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Late assignments or projects: All assignments must be handed in on the date specified, at the beginning of class. No out-of-class assignment or project will be accepted later than one week after the due
date unless a signed medical note is provided with the assignment. Students are responsible for arranging to make up any missed in-class assignments or projects for which they have a signed medical note.
This must be done within one week of the missed assignment. Note that assignments handed in late
without valid medical justification will receive no corrections or feedback, but a grade only. Any outof-class assignment or project submitted within one week of the due date will be penalized 10%. No
late assignment can earn a mark higher than 80%. Penalties do not apply if the student provides a
signed medical note.
Revisions: Students may, at the teacher’s discretion, be permitted to revise selected written assignments. Students are encouraged to revise to improve their skills and better their marks. No revision,
however, can earn a mark higher than 20% over the original mark. No revision is accepted unless the
original assignment is attached.
Note: In some cases, in-class assignments and projects may not be graded. Students may not be informed of this prior to the collection of the assigned work.
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Appendix: Curriculum Revision Grid
Course Outline Approval and the Mandate of Curriculum Coordinator and Curriculum Committee: All teachers are required, through their contractual
obligations according to the Collective Agreement, to comply with ministerial, collegial and departmental policies and guidelines. The Curriculum Committee
is a volunteer departmental committee made up of six department members and the Curriculum and Placement Coordinators. It is the mandate of the Curriculum Coordinator, in collaboration with the Curriculum Committee, to review all course outlines to make sure English courses are adhering to ministerial,
collegial and departmental policies and guidelines. The committee may also make suggestions to teachers about parts of their outlines which may need
reviewing for clarity or correct wording.
Any issues that emerge concerning a revision required or suggested by the committee are open to discussion and explanation, but the committee is governed by
departmental, collegial and ministerial policies which all teachers are required to comply with. The revisions that are required by the committee are to protect
both the individual teacher and the department from the consequences of not following the policies and guidelines we have been given, and to ensure basic
coherence and equity between different sections of the same type of English course.
Teacher Meetings with the Curriculum Coordinator and Curriculum Committee: Teachers may be asked to meet with the Curriculum Coordinator and/or
to come to a committee meeting for several reasons, ranging from clarification on course content to answering questions regarding the revision process. This is
standard policy for the committee and is meant to help teachers with the revision process.
Course Outline Revision Process: The Curriculum Coordinator receives copies of all course outlines and meets with the Curriculum Committee to collectively
vet and proofread the outlines. The Curriculum Coordinator collects the committee’s notes and it is the coordinator’s responsibility to contact the teacher and
provide a copy of the committee’s notes and revisions. The requested revisions may be transmitted in writing or sent to the teacher electronically. The
Curriculum Coordinator will attach the Curriculum Committee Revision Grid with each course outline.
The Curriculum Committee Revision Grid, as approved by the English Department, provides both the mandate of the Curriculum Committee as well as details
regarding the revision and approval process for the teacher’s outline. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make the necessary revisions and resubmit the revised
outline in both electronic and hard copy format to the Curriculum Coordinator. The coordinator may specify a revision due date on the Curriculum Committee
Revision Grid, but two weeks is the general rule to allow the committee sufficient time to review the revised outline.
If outlines are not submitted by the deadline, a list of teachers’ names with the non-revised outlines will be sent to the Dean’s office and the Dean will follow up
and request the submission of outlines. It is important to note that it is outside of the committee’s mandate to deal with conflicts that may arise due to a
teacher’s lack of meeting the deadlines or contesting revisions required by the committee when those revisions are necessary for the outline to comply with
ministerial, collegial or departmental policies and guidelines. Any disputes regarding deadlines and required revisions will be directed to the Dean’s office.
Course Outline Revisions – Submission of Final Version of Revised Course Outline: Consult the Model Course Outlines and the Ministerial and Departmental Policies and Guidelines Booklet when revising course outlines. Please submit an electronic and hard copy of your outline after the committee has
reviewed the outline. Feel free to contact the Curriculum Coordinator for details or if you have any questions. Once the revised outline has been approved, the
teacher needs to submit a final revised copy of the outline in both electronic and hard copy format to the Curriculum Coordinator. The final versions of the
revised and approved copies of course outlines need to be submitted to the Dean’s office by end of the current semester by the Curriculum Coordinator.
Teacher: _________________________________________________
Semester: ___________________________
Course Title: _____________________________________________
Course Number: _____________________
Your outline has been approved _____
Please submit an electronic and hard copy format by ___________________________________________________________
Your course outline has not been approved; please resubmit and note that you will not be teaching this course next semester ____
Your outline has been approved pending minor revisions _____
Please re-submit your outline with revisions in electronic and hard copy format by ___________________________________
The course cannot be taught until you submit your final revised outline and it has been approved by the committee and the Dean
Your outline has been approved pending major revisions _____
Please re-submit your outline with revisions in electronic and hard copy format by ___________________________________
The course cannot be taught until you submit your final revised outline and it has been approved by the committee and the Dean
Your revised outline has been approved pending further revisions _____
Please make the additional revisions and resubmit in electronic and hard copy format by _______________________________
The course cannot be taught until you submit your final revised outline and it has been approved by the committee and the Dean
Your revised outline has been approved _____
Please submit a final version in both electronic and hard copy format by ____________________________________________
The course cannot be taught until you submit your final revised outline and it has been approved by the committee and the Dean
Please attend our next committee meeting on __________________________________________________________________
Please send an electronic and hard copy of your course outline by __________________________________________________
Please send an electronic and hard copy of your revised course outline by ____________________________________________
Faculty of Science and General Studies Vanier English Department Curriculum Committee